Legends are Lessons
by HeneverforgaveHeneverforgot
Summary: When I was small I was told legends and stories, old superstitions that were great to hear but ridiculous to believe. That was where I was wrong, and I'm still trying to figure out if that was a blessing or a curse
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

 **When I was small I used to pretend to be from far off places, with magic and fairy tales, princes and princesses, witches, wizards and Warlocks. I used to bring the stories I read or the ones my mother read to me to life in the back garden with my sister. When I became older my thoughts didn't really change but instead of playing them in the back garden I played them out in my head. I'd day dream of these fantastical lands from books and movies and I'd place myself in the story or I'd pretend I was a certain character to change events I didn't like.**

 **I never once thought these fantasies would become my reality, these were my escape from real life, my happy place, my distraction. These fantasies were just that. Fantasy. But when I chose to take that trail, when I stood in that circle of oak saplings knowing the legends that I grew up with went against everything I was doing, I changed my reality.**

I woke to a warm breeze blowing through my hair. The strands flew about my face tickling under my nose and sticking to the edges of my lips. My eyes were closed but the sun cast that red glow through my eyelids, I slowly opened my eyes bit by bit, they were heavy as if they'd been closed for days. I finally opened them only to shut them quickly from the blinding light around me. I tried again with my hand hovering above my face. I squinted up at the blue sky and blinked again trying to adjust to the light. I looked around myself I was laying on the ground of a clearing in what looked to be a forest. I slowly sat up wincing at the pain of my back from what felt like a nasty fall on top of my backpack. I slipped the bag from my shoulders and sat it on my lap. I began to try to access my situation but my mind was racing too fast for me to keep up with.

The only thing I could think of was the screaming of hundreds of voices I heard before I woke in this clearing. They were screams of anger, despair and victory. What on earth had happened to me for me to be laying in the middle of this forest?! I tried to remember what I had done leading up to this.

.

I had been hiking with my family in the mountains near where my grandparents lived, it was a group hike with cousins, aunts and uncles all from my mother's side I remembered, we'd been arranging it for awhile as a sort of family reunion. We had come to a cross roads of sorts on the trail, I had been up ahead with my cousin Lauren. She'd wanted to take the obviously more popular trail but I had wanted to take the less used looking one just to try make the walk more interesting. We ended up making a bet of who'd get to the top the fastest and each took our own trail. My trail had actually been an old route that led to a dead end but me, being the stubborn foul that I am, thought I could find my own way to the top. I took my phone and used the compass on it to lead me in the right direction but as I walked up through the trees that covered the mountainside I stumbled upon a fairy ring. A circle of young saplings struggling to grow with these massive trees surrounding them. I smiled to myself as I remembered the old legends and stories I had been told growing up about these rings. You were never to step inside it, for fear of being cursed by the Aos Sí (the Fae) these were to be avoided and if you came across one you were to go in the opposite direction. But I disregarded all these as superstition, so I walked on through. As I came closer to the ring the wind picked up it whipped my hair all around me, taking it from the braid I had it in and blowing it in front of my eyes, blinding me. I stumbled over a rock in my path and fell into the ring bringing a sapling with me bending its young bark as the limbs got caught beneath me. The wind was nearing a howl bowing the tops of the tall trees surrounding the ring fort. I tried to scramble to my feet but the wind pushed me down now screaming with the speeds it whipped through the trees. I stumbled to my feet fighting the wind when it suddenly stopped. I fell forward from the sudden drop but even though the force stopped pushing. The screams continued. I looked around and saw that even though I no longer felt the wind it was still billowing all around me the only other things unaffected were the ring of saplings. The screaming became louder and louder. It was like the screams of thousands of people. Men, women, children. Of cruel laughter, of downright terror, the screams of anger and despair thor through me. I tried to block my ears with my hands pressing as hard as I could, but the sound only grew. I fell to my knees and pressed my forehead to the ground, my eyes shut tight.

That was the last thing I remembered.


	2. Chapter 2

"I heard a branch snap behind me. I turned quickly and saw what looked to be a smallish man emerge from the trees leading a pony behind him but he must've felt my stare because he whipped his head around to meet my stare head on with his own and I must've surprised him as he seemed to freeze like a deer caught in headlights. His pony crashed into his back making him stumble forward. This snapped me from my shocked state and I backed up not wanting to be in this man's reach. He had what looked to be a smithy's hammer hanging from his hip and a swords handle poked out over his left shoulder. He was dressed in what looked to be a Viking costume of sorts and I wondered if I stumbled onto some sort of movie set or Viking re-enactment. His hair was amazing I thought to myself, elaborate braids with beads hanging in them or holding the ends, it was a reddish brown colour and hung to just past his shoulders and his beard was just as impressive hanging own to the middle of his chest, braided just like his hair. It all reinforced my guess of having walked into a movie set by mistake.I opened my mouth and said "Hello?" The man who up till that point had been studying me much the same as I had him, looked up from where he'd been staring at my bag as if it had personally offended him and met my eyes with what my grandad would've called a bulls look and didn't answer. I met look for look and questioned "Sir?" The man grunted in response, well it's an upgrade from silence I thought.  
"Sorry, do you speak English?"

"I speak Westron if that's what you mean, never heard of this N-lish." He grunted.

"Westron?...what on earth? Is this some sort of Lord of the Rings cosplay?

"Sorry yes that's what I mean, am…. You couldn't tell me where I am exactly could you?"

"He narrowed his eyes at me, "You're in the Old Forest, between Bree and The Shire."

"I backed away even more. "Alright that's not funny. Seriously where am I? I'm sure you can break character for a minute to help me." The man looked at me strangely and said, "Miss, I already told you where you are and I'm not repeating myself.'

"There's no such place as the Old Forest!" I exclaimed.

"There is Miss, as you're standing in it. Now if you wouldn't mind, I've questions of my own and as I've answered yours you can answer mine.""You didn't answer mine! You're having me on and I'm lost! So no I won't answer any questions you have." I was completely prepared to run from him when I heard a growl that shook my bones from behind me. I'm positive my eyes were bulging from their sockets as I turned around to look at what had made the noise. It was one of the most ugly, grotesque beings I'd ever seen (up til that point in my life). It was the size of a smallish bear but had to be a wolf as there was no other creature I could compare it too. It's muzzle was covered in thick scars and it's lips were curled up showing his sharp teeth that had to be the length of my hand at least. I started to back away when the man behind harshly whispered "Stop! You'll only make him attack faster." I did as I was told knowing he knew what this thing was. I whispered "What is that thing?!"

"A Warg." He said grimly. My eyes became even wider, if that was possible. Oh god, oh shit! I couldn't deny what was right in front of me. There was no creature like that back home. And I had watched The Hobbit enough times to know what a Warg looked like. But Peter Jackson didn't do them justice. They were terrifying.

"Shit! What do we do?!" I whispered sharply. Looking around for anything I could use as a weapon to fight off this beast. The Warg prowled closer and I held my breath. I heard a sharp intake of breath behind me."Can you fight?" He questioned. "In hand to hand." I answered quietly, though that wasn't entirely truthful, I could throw a punch that was about it but that wouldn't do me any good here. I tried not to move my lips as I spoke. I heard him let out a huff but I couldn't figure out whether it was in relief or panic though I could make a good guess.

The Warg seemed to realise we weren't the type of prey to run and was becoming impatient. We were running out of time."When I yell, you jump to the side. Do not hesitate!" My head twitched as I fought off the urge to whip my head around and look at him. But that was all it took to set the him off. The Warg who had been coiling up to jump snarled loudly as he leaped. The man behind me yelled and I leapt to my right, hitting the ground hard I used my momentum and rolled even further out of the way, rolling onto my stomach and getting to me knees I looked towards the fight and I didn't know what to do, the Warg could obviously overpower the small man on sheer size alone but he knew what he was doing. He ducked and swerved at just the right moments swinging his hammer as he went. He clipped the Warg's jaw in a particularly good swing and the Warg backed off with a small whine for just a moment before letting a furious snarl and attacked the man with renewed vigour.

He was overwhelmed I could see that clearly. As the Warg gave him no chance for a breath. I looked to my left and saw a large stone. I picked it up quickly as I got to my feet. I waited for just the right moment as the Warg backed up enough for me to have a clear shot and flung the stone at him. It hit him on the side of his head almost exactly where the man hit him with his hammer beforehand. The Warg let out a roar as it turned to look for what had hit it. His eyes focused on me but he didn't even have a chance to decide to jump as the stranger took his chance and brought his hammer down on the back of the Warg's head, at the base where it connected to his neck. It was a fatal hit and the Warg fell his eyes rolling to the back of its head. I took a deep breath, my heart hammering in my chest as I looked up from the dead Warg to the small man, who I was beginning to think was a dwarf if this was Middle Earth as all things seemed to point towards."Nice hit." Was all I said. The dwarf looked at me incredulously before he let out a booming laugh his head thrown back and I giggled with him knowing that it was due to shock and relief of surviving the deadly encounter.

As our laughter died down I sank to the ground not knowing what else to do. The dwarf looked at me with concern and suspicion. "I'm sorry," I said. He looked at me in slight surprise. As I looked at his face I could see him setting his stoic mask. The only indicator of his emotions being his eyes and eyebrows. His mouth being covered by his beard. "For not believing you before…I'm ah… not from around here." Here he gave a slight nod acknowledging the apology and also probably confirming whatever hypothesis' he'd come up with so far. "I'll answer your questions if you still want to ask them." His eyebrows raised. Then he said "I've more questions now than I did before. More than can be asked in one afternoon. You'd better come with me lass, you obviously don't know how to defend yourself around here and I'd rather not have your death on my conscience." My body locked up in shock, I was definitely not expecting that answer. He reached a hand toward me and I stared at it then up at his face. I tried to consider all my options. He was a stranger but he'd saved my life and he was right I had no idea how to defend myself here.

His face seemed to soften a bit as he clearly saw my struggle to trust him. "I won't hurt you lass. I know that doesn't have much meaning to you but you're going to have to decide now as we need to move on." He hadn't retracted his hand yet but I could see he was becoming impatient yet he was stubborn. I finally took his hand and he pulled me up. When I stood in front of him I realised my first impression of his height was wrong as he was roughly the same size if not an inch or two taller than me. Though in fairness I was on the small side myself but if he was a dwarf I'd feel some amount of stepped back a bit. "Aedon, at your service miss." He said with a slight bow, his head not looking down but up at my face keeping eye contact with me. He came back up and looked at me expectantly. I stared at him for a second before responding. "Ciara, at yours." I bowed mimicking him by keeping eye contact, not knowing that I earned a bit of respect by doing so. He nodded at me then turned back to his pony walking briskly then stood by its side waiting for me. I took a deep breath then walked to them, he indicated for me to get on the pony holding out his hand to help me up. I ignored the hand offered and swung myself up having been on horses before a pony was simple in huffed a bit in what sounded like amusement before taking the ponies reins and tugging them sharply. Pulling us off into the forest.

* * *

 **Well that was dramatic, sorry if my writing style is confusing. For anyone who doesn't know Aedon is pronounced like Aidan its just a weird way to spell it and Ciara is pronounced key-ra not key-ara or whatever.**

 **Sorry if this authors note is just annoying people but sometimes I'd see a name and not know how to pronounce it and ya ok I'm just gonna shut up now. Read and review please. xx**


	3. Chapter 3

We traveled most of the day and by the time the sun was just about to set, Aedon pulled us to a stop. Earlier on I had tried to swap places not liking the idea of him walking the whole day but he wouldn't hear of it. We came to a stop on the crest of a hill it was a brilliant vantage point on the valley below and I could see lights in the distance, showing signs of settlement. "Bree." He said, I looked at him confused but he just nodded towards the lights.

I blinked at that, I was still trying to wrap my head around it, I was in Middle Earth, the Middle Earth. It was impossible but here I was, I remembered the screams, they still rang in my ears, I shook my head which caused Aedon to look up at me. I gave him a weak smile "Are we stopping here?" he squinted at me for a second but then let it drop, nodding he said "Yes, the lights fading and I still need to hunt." He looked at me for a moment then asked "Can you make a fire?"

I rolled my eyes "Yes I can make a fire, I'm not completely helpless." But I understood where he was coming from he didn't know anything about me, he hadn't asked any of his questions which I had expected him to do once we started walking, we'd walked in almost complete silence the whole day. He smirked at my answer, well I think it was a smirk can't really tell with the beard but I'll assume it was.

He flicked his gaze between the pony and myself trying to decide if I could be trusted, I pursed my lips wondering how I could let him know I won't run off. I hopped down from the pony while he was thinking and said "You said yourself I don't know how to defend myself here and you're right so I won't run off if that's what you're thinking." He still didn't look convinced so I sighed and slid my bag off my back and held it out to him, he looked at me in confusion.

"All my belongings are in this bag, literally everything I have here, so if it'll make you more comfortable you can take it with you." I clenched my teeth as I did this, I couldn't think of anything that could make him trust me but this was painful, if I was in another world and have no way of getting home that's my only connection to it. He must've seen the struggle for me to do this on my face as he took the bag from my grip with a grateful nod. I smiled tightly back at him then took the reins off him leading the pony over to a tree with a low lying branch and tied the reins to it. When I turned back around Aedon was gone and my shoulders dropped in relief, this was the first time I'd been alone all day and I could feel the panic build almost instantly, my breathing picked up as I realised this might all be real and I could be stuck here with no one and nothing. Tears welled up in my eyes as the thought came to me that I might never see my family again, my sisters, my mum, my grandparents. I let out a sob but then sucked in a quick breath, my gaze roving the landscape making sure Aedon or any other being had seen or heard me but the only witness so far to my slight breakdown was the pony, I really had to find out his or her name I couldn't keep calling him or her 'the pony'.

I closed my eyes and took slow breaths, in then out. When I opened my eyes I realized I was wasting time the sun was quickly setting and I hadn't even started the fire or unsaddled the pony. I quickly went to business gathering sticks and rocks for the fire setting the rocks in an circle around the driest bit of grass then I started to unsaddle the pony but before I did so, I searched the small pockets of the bags on his back, looking for kindling for the fire, I eventually found it without feeling I had invaded Aedon's privacy too much. When I'd finished with the pony I started making the fire, the kindling was good and dry and the stones were easy to get a spark off of, so I got it up and going in no time, adding layer by layer of sticks, thin, small ones under thick, denser ones as the fire really got going.

I relaxed a bit then, not realising how cold and dark it had got until I had the light and warmth of the fire going before me. I sat back on my heels and put my hands forward getting a bit of warmth in them as I wondered where Aedon had got to, but speak of the devil and he shall appear, Aedon walked out from the tree line with a rabbit in one hand and a squirrel in the other. My eyes widened, I'd never eaten rabbit before or squirrel for that matter but I'd never really wanted to, they were such harmless animals it seemed cruel to eat them. Aedon's eyes were on the fire though not my face, so he hadn't seen my expression to his prises. I composed myself quickly as he looked to me and he gave me a approving nod and I don't know why but that nod comforted me, like I wasn't a huge burden though I knew I wasn't because we'd barely known each other a day. Not enough time to become a burden.

"The hunting went well so?" I said raising my eyebrows. He raised an eyebrow back at me "Yes, you lasted a few hours with no incident?" I gave a slight smile at that then turned back toward the fire. He sat to my left placing the animals on his left knee and slid my backpack from his back which to be honest was a strange sight because it clashed so strangely with his clothes and placed it beside me. "Strange contraption that." He said gesturing toward the bag "Clever though." I grinned at that and placed the bag in my lap. I looked up from my bag and saw him staring at me. "You going to ask your questions now?" He nodded as he took the animals from his knee, trying to hand one off to me, I looked at it, my eyes again widening and looked back up at him, his forehead scrunched up as he saw my expression. "Don't you know how to skin an animal?" I shook my head violently, he looked at me in disbelief. "How do you eat your meat if you can't skin the animals you catch?"

"The animal is already skinned when we get it and we're not the ones who catch it." I said quickly.

"You get the meat already skinned." He looked at me like I was mad, "What exactly were you taught? You cannot fight or hunt or even skin an animal yet you can make a fire, mount and I'm assuming can ride a horse or pony?"

"Hunting, fighting and skinning animals are not needed for day to day life where I live. The fire making and horse riding were more of a hobby for me. And I can fight! Just not with a sword or hammer or whatever it was you were going to give me to defend myself." I could see I was just making him more and more confused. I sighed then said "Will you show me then? How to skin an animal."

He looked at me assessing whether or not I was too squeamish. "I won't throw up. Promise." I said. He studied my face for a second then nodded his assent. He then plopped the carcass on my lap and reached into his coat and pulled out a knife, handing it to me while taking another from his boot. I stared at him for a moment not knowing whether I should be amused or a bit frightened that he has that many weapons on his person. But I let it go and so came my first lesson in Middle Earth 'How to Skin a Rabbit' which to be honest I never thought I would ever do and though it was disgusting it was sort of liberating knowing how to do something like that. When he thought I had a good grip on what to do he let me off and started on his squirrel. When we finished and had them on a turn pike over the fire, Aedon turned to me and said "Where exactly is it you're from?"

I huffed of course he starts with that question, probably the hardest one to explain. I pursed my lips as I tried to think of a way to answer him without sounding mad but I realized that wasn't possible. "I'm from a place called Ireland." He blinks at me. "There's no such place." I squeezed my eyes shut then opened them. "There is, I'm from there. It's a small island to the West Coast of Europe." He doesn't speak this time just continues to look at me. "Look there is no way to explain where I'm from or how I got to be here without sounding mad but it's the truth, I have no reason to lie to you about this."

"Explain it to me then." So I did.

I told him all about how I got here, about the hiking trip with my family and splitting off by myself, then stepping into the fairy ring. I told him of my life back home, how I was a student studying nursing in college, about my three younger sisters Siobhan, Aoife and Clare, about my mam. I told him everything and anything, him asking a question now and again to elaborate on something like 'What's a College?' or trying to explain what nursing was- "no I didn't study to be a wet nurse. No! That's not what nursing is, it's like a…. healer? I suppose or a healer's helper, we take care of the patient after the doctors, Healers sorry, tell them what's wrong and nurse them back to health."

I tried to explain what Ireland was, but Middle Earth is one whole mainland, the idea of crossing the sea and not arriving in the Grey Haven's or whatever happens when they leave Middle Earth was impossible to imagine, I think he believed me more on the fact that I'd been brought here by some kind of magic then he did on the idea I grew up on an island. By the time I'd finished telling the basics of my story we'd eaten our meal (rabbit was delicious, not going to lie) and the sky was darker and clearer then I'd ever seen. There was no pollution here, well there probably was but not to the extent back home, but even though I grew up in the countryside with little light pollution, I'd never seen a clearer picture of the stars.

We'd been quiet for some time now, him trying to digest all I'd told him. When I'd finished he'd leaned forward toward the fire, hands under his chin thinking deeply about it all. I didn't say anything, knowing it all sounded so unbelievable I just leaned back and stared at the stars trying to find familiar constellations though I didn't really expect to find any but I was pleasantly surprised to find The Plough and then Orion's Belt, Middle Earth had the same constellations as Earth, I tried to wrap my head around that fact, that meant we'd have to be in galaxy with the same stars, planets and moons but that couldn't be possible. It was beginning to make my head hurt so I pushed the thought from my mind for now and just appreciated that I had something familiar to look up to.

When I'd finished analysing the sky I turned back toward Aedon, he seemed to have made up his mind so I asked "Do you believe me? Or do you think I'm mad? Because honestly I wouldn't blame you." He looked at me completely expressionless before saying "I do believe you lass." I reeled back in shock. "There's no lie in your eyes and face about the pain you feel from being taken from your home and family, you can't fake that pain. And it's seems rightly ridiculous to imagine such a fantasy as you've described unless it were true."

I felt tears well up in my eyes as he spoke, I honestly didn't expect him to believe me and he's right you can't fake this pain. It's all consuming, like a hole has been ripped through your chest and like it won't ever heal because there's nothing that can take that place and make it full again. I tried to blink back my tears, I hated crying in front of people especially people I don't know and I succeeded, sort of, they didn't fall but they stayed in my eyes giving everything a wobbly look. I knew he could see my tears and he must've seen the anguish in my face because he didn't acknowledge them whatsoever and I was extremely grateful for that.

He nodded to himself then said "Right, off to sleep with you, we have a long day of traveling to do tomorrow and I won't have you falling off the saddle from lack of sleep." I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion at his remark. "Where exactly will we be going?"

He looked at me and gave me the first smile I'd ever seen on his face "I'm taking you home with me and we'll find a place for you here, don't you worry."

* * *

 **Right there's Chapter 3**

 **Sorry if the writings wrong in places I have no beta, so you're getting the rough work. Just to clarify there's going to be no romantic relationship between my two OC's there. We'll learn more about Aedon later on but I only plan for these two to have a familial relationship just so everyone knows. XP**

 **Oh and the names mentioned are pronounced She-von=Siobhan , E-fa=Aoife just in case.**

 **Read and Review xoxo**


	4. Chapter 4

I slept like the dead that night, I guess moving to a different world takes a lot out of you but I was grateful for it because it meant that I didn't have the chance to think over my situation and again nearly cry about it. I knew it was unhealthy, keeping all the emotions in but there was nothing else I could do I just had to get up and move on for now.

When I woke the next morning the sun was already up but I knew it was still early as there was fog still lying in the valley below, it was a cool morning but the night before Aedon had given me his blanket saying his coat would be enough for him, I didn't believe him but what could I do, I had nothing in my bag that would keep me warm. I looked around trying to spot him, but he was nowhere in sight. My forehead scrunched up in confusion, his pony (who I still had to get the name of) was still where I left him the night before but he was now saddled and ready to go at a moment's notice. I got up pulling the blanket from me , folding it as I stood up, the fire was only small embers now. I heard movement to my right and saw Aedon coming through from the tree line, I gave a small smile of relief, he seemed to do a double take when he saw me up but gave me small twitch of the beard in return.

"Thought I'd have to wake you myself lass, would've almost thought you were dead with the way you were sleeping, if it wasn't for your snores of course." I gave him a scowl at that remark though I knew it was true, I had always been teased about my snores though I think people just exaggerated. He gave a grin of amusement at my reaction. "Ready to go then?" he said.

"Two minutes." I said gesturing toward the Wood " I just need to…am yeah." I walked toward the tree line quickly knowing he was probably laughing at my awkwardness. When I came back he had the campsite completely cleared, if I didn't know better I would've thought no one had been here if it weren't for the tell-tale signs of the fire, though he'd done well at hiding it. He saw me coming and gestured for me to hop on the pony, I did so then remembered the question I'd been meaning to ask, "What's his name, by the way?" Aedon looked up at me, handing me the water skin that I hadn't even noticed he was holding as well as a bit of bread for breakfast with berries that he must of found. While I drank some of the water he answered "Polly." So he was a she. "I'm guessing you didn't name her." He smirked and said "No that was my wife." I blinked at him in surprise. "You're married?"

"That so surprising to you lass?"

"Yes well no, to be honest I hadn't given it any thought…Alright this is unfair you know basically my life story but I only know your name and your ponies." He gave a huff at that, taking the reins moving us onward. "That's not my fault lass."

"I'm not saying it's anyone's fault. I guess I'm trying to ask if it's alright if I ask questions about you this time." His forehead wrinkled "Did you think that you couldn't?"

I shrugged my shoulders "I wasn't sure, you seem a private person." He rolled his eyes at me. "So do you Miss Ciara but that didn't stop you." I smirked at that. "Fair enough."

"So what's your wife's name?"

"Merna."

I smiled. "What's she like?"

And so we talked, of his wife who sound like Mahal's great gift to Dwarrow, of the place they lived, it was apparently not too far from Bree, of his occupation as a tanner, he traveled from village to village, trading whatever was needed, collecting orders for the next run, how that he was in fact travelling home when he came across me, his last stop being Bree. We talked most of the day, stopping when we came across a river, refilling the water skin, me trying to convince him to get on Polly instead of me, him blank right refusing, then we compromised with us both riding her, which is extremely uncomfortable seeing as the saddle was made with only one person in mind. But it made for faster travelling so we 'grinned and bared it' or more like grimaced and bared it but by the end of the day we came into Bree just as night fell.

I was beside myself with giddiness, we were in Bree! My inner fan-girl squealed in excitement. Aedon must've noticed my restlessness because he turned to give me a look and said "I want you to keep as out of sight as possible." I looked at him with disbelief. "Why?"

"I don't know how females are treated in your world but I can guess it's vastly different from how they're treated here by Man." My eyes widened at that, I'd forgotten that the roles of male and female were different here, from the way Aedon talked of his wife I would never have guessed but maybe it was different with Dwarves.

"What would they do?"

"Things I rather not think about, especially if they've been drinking." I nodded to him, showing my understanding of his warning but "How am I supposed to hide the fact I'm a woman?" I said. It was obvious that I was one, I am too curved at the top and with my long hair it would be hard to hide. "Open the satchel to your right, there should be a cloak in there, I want you to put it on and pull up the hood, cover yourself as much as you can." I set about to do what I'd been told.

"I'm here to meet an old friend of mine but until we get to the Inn he's staying at, you must stay hidden." I nodded again. We traveled through the streets in silence and I couldn't help but gawp at the scene around me, it looked so different then it had in the movies, the houses were much bigger then I'd thought and I really began to wonder are Man here different to humans back home? I always assumed they were the same but at the moment I was seeing more similarities with the Dwarrow then Man though in fairness I'd only seen one dwarf and though we'd passed a few Men travelling the streets I couldn't get a good measure seeing as I was on a pony.

While I was lost in thought we'd traveled into a new part of town, it was on a hill face and…were they hobbit holes in the hill? I looked around me and saw that the houses and lodgings had become quite a bit smaller, more to Aedon's and my own size. Aedon pulled Polly to a halt outside one of the Inn's. "Can I pull my hood down now?" I asked. "Aye but don't take off the cloak, your clothes are too strange." I made a noise of agreement as Aedon handed Polly off to a stable boy. "How are you going to explain my presence to this old friend of yours?" I asked Aedon as we walked into the Inn. "I'll tell him the truth. You are lost, with no place to go and we were attacked by a Warg."

"And he'll accept that will he?" I said looking up at him.

"Aye lass he trusts my judgement." I gave him a nod then, straightening my back as we walked toward the bar. Aedon ordered two mugs of ale and food while I scanned the room trying to see any other dwarf. I eventually found one in the back corner of the inn, I nudged Aedon with my elbow, "Is that your friend?" I said gesturing with my head toward the corner. He looked over and a grin spread across his face. "Aye that's him." He said as he handed the barman payment for our order then grabbing the two mugs of ale and leading the way over to the other dwarf.

As we came nearer I realized the dwarf looked familiar, my steps faltered, no way. No Way! This couldn't be possible, but yet there sat one of the dwarves from Thorin Oakenshield's company Óin son of Gróin. He looked different, younger I'd say, not by much but his hair seemed less grey and had more black and I couldn't see an ear trumpet.

Aedon had reached his table by this point and I realized I had stopped halfway over, I rushed over before he realized I had lagged behind but I needn't have worried for all his focus was on Óin as he greeted him, they slammed foreheads and I then realized how close they really must be because as far as I remembered dwarves only greeted each other thus when they were family or close enough to that.

I stood awkwardly to the side as they exchanged greetings. "Thank you for coming old friend." Aedon said. "Wouldn't miss it for the world lad. Now-" I gave a slight cough interrupting their reunion, not that I wanted to but I thought it would be better if Óin knew I was there before he continued their conversation. I made a face of apology towards Aedon but he seemed more amused than anything else, Óin on the other hand looked beyond confused.

"Ah yes forgive me Miss Ciara, this is my good friend Óin son of Gróin." Óin who still looked confused bowed and said "At your service Miss." I gave him a warm smile and bowed back saying "Ciara Branagán at yours." He gave me a nod then looked to Aedon obviously wanting an explanation. Aedon pulled out a chair and gestured for me to sit, I did so and he took the seat beside me we both looked up to Óin who then followed suit. Aedon passed me one of the mugs of ale I eyed it curiously before shrugging and taking a swing, I was pleasantly surprised when I was greeted with a sort of spicy fruity taste. I smiled and took another swing before settling in my chair. Aedon then began to explain the story of how we met and how we came to be here and so on, leaving out of course how I came to be here and where I was from. Óin took it all in in silence by the time Aedon had finished our food had arrived, as we had barely eaten all day we shoveled the food into our mouths. Óin seemed to be deep in thought as we ate.

Eventually Aedon took a breather gulping down a large bit of ale to help swallow the food he'd eaten, he then said "Miss Ciara here is also wanting to become a Healer, now I thought that was greatly lucky as I'm meeting one of the finest among dwarves." I looked at Aedon in shock as did Óin. Óin overcame his first and for the first time that evening gave me his full attention "You wish to become a Healer?" he asked.

I gave Aedon one last look before answering Óin. "Am yes, yes I do though where I'm from we call them nurses and I'm not positive if the criteria is the same." Óin gave me a considering look then asked "Well does a nurse heal the sick?"

"Yes."

"Well then I'd say they're the same lass." He said with a huff. I tried hard not to roll my eyes.

"Nurses look after those who are sick but are not generally the ones to diagnose them, though they can in some cases, but generally they help whoever is sick and stay with them until they recover their health."

"Aye lass that is the role of a Healer also, though it's strange that you call them nurses." I could see where he was going with this and interrupted before he got there. "Yes I know it has a completely different meaning here." I said with a huff and a small smile of amusement. He gave me a nod but said "Though lass I'm not sure you'd be able for it." I narrowed my eyes at him and I could see Aedon frantically shake his head in the corner of my eye. "And why is that exactly?" He seemed to realize that he was heading toward dangerous territory but ploughed ahead. "It's a trying job lass, non-stop, always on the go, you won't have much peace for years and you won't be able to settle anywhere for long, as you're always in demand."

I could see he was trying to be diplomatic in his answer but his point was clear, I wouldn't be able to settle down and have a family for years to come and as I was in my early twenties it was expected for me to already be married if not with child at this point in my life. Especially in the circumstances of humans in this world. The thought was so ridiculous to me I tried to hold in my laughter but couldn't quite, I snorted. Loudly. Both dwarves looked at me in shock obviously not expecting that reaction and that set me off into a fit of giggles. I finally gained control of myself and said evenly enough "There's no need to worry about that whatsoever Master Óin."

He looked at me skeptically. "And why is that lass?"

"Well to be honest it's not on the agenda for a very long time, if ever." He looked like he was going to object to my statement when Aedon finally entered the conversation again. "Óin it is Miss Ciara's decision but either way you will be spending the next few weeks together as Miss Ciara is coming with us." Again we both looked at Aedon, Óin in shock but myself with a slight bit of anger.

"Am I now?" I asked raising my eyebrows at him. He had the decency to look sheepish at this. "Aye lass I was thinking it over on our journey and it seems to be the best course of action." I made sure not to change my expression at his answer and I could actually see him becoming nervous, well he started to fidget and shift in his seat so I think he was nervous. I eventually gave him a small smile and said "Alright, thank you. I know you don't have to do any of this for me so thank you. But you know next time? Ask me first!" He gave me a sharp nod of understanding.

Now knowing we had a plan I had enough surprises for the day so began to stand "Is there a room booked or are we camping tonight?" I asked wanting to just go to sleep. The dwarves exchanged a look. "Well lass I had booked a room but I was only expecting Aedon and myself." Óin answered. "I will ask if they have another to spare." He started to get up but I quickly stopped him.

"Oh there's no need to get another room Master Óin we can all just share the one. Only if, well that's alright with ye two?" I said looking between them, worried I had crossed some sort of boundary. They looked at me in surprise. "That's suitable to you lass? You wouldn't be uncomfortable."

"God no, I'm the one putting the both of ye out. As long as it's good with the two of yous I don't mind." I said giving them an assuring if not tired smile. They both assured me it was fine with them, Óin gave the directions to the room and off I went. I found it easily and when entering I saw the room was simple enough with one window, a wash basin and two single beds. I looked about the room looking for extra coverings glad I had come up before the other two because I know they would've made me take a bed while one of them slept on the floor. I soon spotted a small cupboard stocked with extra blankets and pillows and set up a place for myself on the floor. I moved quickly wanting to at least be able to pretend to be asleep when they came up so they wouldn't make a fuss of me sleeping on the floor.

By the time I had everything sorted I was exhausted and I needn't have worried about pretending to sleep for as soon as my head it the pillow I was gone.


End file.
